Coin loss preventer



June 16, 1953 L. MICHAELS 2,642,170

COIN LOSS PREVENTER Filed Sept. 29, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Fly 1' law/awe Mic-finals 2'Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 29, 1949 3/ j@\@ 0 0/0 c o INVENTOR. Lawre'awe Mic/tack Patented June 16, 1953 COIN LOSS PREVENTER Lawrence Michaels, Fort Mitchell, Ky., assignor to The Michaels Art Bronze Company, Covington, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Application September 29, 1949, Serial No. 118,650

The invention relates to parking meters and the like, and particularly to devices wherein a manually operable handle is normally locked and is coin released for operation, and has for its object the provision of an effective coin loss preventer. r

' Another object of the invention is to provide a coin loss preventer which safeguards the user of 9 Claims. (Cl. 194-45) the mechanism embodying the same against coin loss, and against incomplete operation of the device when, after depositing a coin, the handle is not turned to its intended maximum position due to lack of familiarity or to release of the handle by inadvertence or otherwise.

.Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character with a visible warning signal which becomes effective on incomplete operation of the device and which remains visible for a reasonable period of time so that the operator or other person may rectify the condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the duration of the visible warning signal and the time afforded to rectify the inadvertence or mistake are made co-extensive and are so timed as to preclude illegal manipulation of the device to the benefit of the user.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which: 7

Fig. 1 is a fragmental, elevational view showing the operating mechanism of a parking meter of the aforementioned character having the coin loss preventer of the invention embodied therein, parts being broken away and the parts being shown in normally locked position with a coin in position for releasing them.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 with additional parts removed and showing the position of the operating parts and the loss preventer parts during passage of a deposited coin beyond the control of the operator.

7 Fig. 3 is a view of the structure after the releasing coin has dropped and the manually operating member has been released prior to completion of the permitted manual setting thereof.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts at the end of a completed manual setting movement and retaining the coin loss preventer inoperative.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

In the art of coin controlled devices the problem of the loss of a deposited coin without effective operation of the mechanism has presented various problems. These problems have been overcome in relatively simple fashion in devices wherein the coin travels with the manually operating member throughout movement of the latter and where the extent of manual movement'is uniform.

In the class of coin controlled devices to which this invention particularly relates, the function of the coin is primarily that of releasing an operating handle from a normally locked position. The operating handles in devices of this kind are spring returned and it frequently happens that the handle will slip from the fingers of the operator before the turning movement is completed so that the user is deprived of either part or the full value of the deposited coin. In addition to this a user who is not entirely familiar with the device may fail to turn the handle to its intended limit before releasing it and may leave the device unaware of the fact that he has deprived himself of the full value available to him.

By means of the present invention parking meters of the type exemplified in Michaels U. S. Patent No. 2,397,878 of April 2, 1946 and in Michaels co-pending U. S. patent application Serial No. 72,014 filed January 21, 1949, now U. S. Patent No. 2,563,182 of July '5, 1951 have all of the aforementioned disadvantages eliminated therefrom without limiting them in their multiple operations and adjustments. It is therefore understood that the coin loss preventer as illustrated herein may be readily adapted to use with other mechanisms which do not afford the wide range of adjustments and selective operation of the meters specificall mentioned above.

Referring now to the drawingsthe fragmentally illustrated casing member It has rotatably mounted therein a shaft H with a coin pusher disc member I2 rigidly secured thereon interiorly of the casing while any suitable means (not shown) may be provided on the shaft exteriorly of the casing for rotating the shaft and disc. A rockable latch lever I3 is pivoted intermediate its ends at [4 and is spring urged toward blocking position illustrated in Fig. 1 by a spring I5. The latch lever cooperates with the parking meter mechanism in the identical fashion set forth in the aforementioned Michaels Patent No. 2,397,878

and said co-pending patent application Serial No. 72,014, new U. S. Patent No. 2,563,182. The projecting end I6 of the latch lever is adapted, in its blocking position (Fig. 1), to lie in the path of the leading end I! of an arcuate flange I8 on pusher disc l2 and in the absence of a coin to prevent effective manual rotation of the disc.

A coin arresting roller i9 is carried on one face of latch lever i3 and cooperates with the hub 26 of the disc for arresting a deposited coin C in the position shown in Fig. 1 wherein the edge of the coin extends above the projecting latch end 16 of lever l3 and allows the edge ll of the disc to be manually pushed against the coin C for displacing the coin downwardly thereby rocking latch lever l3 outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2 whereupon said coin drops beyond the control of the operator and the disc l2 may be manually advanced alongside the latch lever to a further extent, as shown for example in Fig. 4, where the pusher disc has been advanced to a permitted limit as provided by the engagement of a tooth 25 of a ring member 22 which is rotatably mounted on a sleeve 23 that is free turning on shaft l I. An indicator member 24 is secured by screws 25 to sleeve 23, which sleeve is adapted to be engaged by an inturned projection 25 on pusher disc l2 for adjusting the indicator in a setting direction (to the left as shown in Fig. 3) where the pusher disc i2 is no longer latched against man-,

indicator is retained by engagement of its series of teeth which engage with the drive pinion of a clockwork (not shown) so that-the indicator with its hand 23 may return to a zero or starting position in accordance with the passage of time. The operation of these parts will be well understood by reference to the foresaid U. S. Patent No. 2,397,878 and the drawings thereof which form no particular part of the present invention.

It is sumcient at this point to state that in the prior devices spring return of the coin pusher disc [2 allows the latch lever to return to the blocking position shown in Fig. 1 which precludes subsequent manual operation of disc l2 until another coin C is deposited. It will be apparent then that since the pusher disc I2 is intended for successive coin released manual operations to effect stepwise setting adjustmentof indicator 2%, the failure to manually move the pusher disc to its intended limit on each operation will, after the release of manual pressure, result in latching the pusher in an inoperative position.

As will now be particularly pointed out, means are provided for precluding return of latch lever E3 to its blocking position until the operator has adjusted the indicator 24 to its intended limit regardless of whether or not the operator may accidentally or otherwise release or lose manual control of the pusher disc I2. It will be hereinafterspecifically pointed out the manner in which this condition is maintained for a short period to enable the operator who has inadvertently or otherwise lost manual control of disc I2 to rectify the condition and thereby secure the full intended setting movement of the indicator. A warning signal or monitor member becomes visible and remains so during this period of incomplete setting. The period provided for rectifying inadvertence is limited to one or several minutes but is in all cases insufficient to allow the operator to utilize the coin loss preventer for enlarging the given prepaid parking time. The coin loss preventer mechanism consists essentially of a securely attached or integrally formed extension 29 on latch lever I3 above projecting end it. The end of extension 29 has a flat inclined edge adapted to cooperate with a lug 3! adjacent the free end 32 of an arcuate arm 33 which is pivoted on the post 3 3. A light spring 35 is connected at its one end'to end 32 of arm 33 and at its other end to the extension 29 of latch lever 13 so that the lug 3| on said arm is yieldably urged to follow the inclined edge 30 of extension as as the latch lever 13 is rocked in either direction. The spring 35 is so positioned as to exert a relatively downward movement on the free end of arm 33. When latch lever I3 is in its blocking position the lug 3| on arm 33 rests adjacent the top of inclined edge 30 and supports the'arcuate arm in the elevated position shown in Fig. 1 against the mild yielding resistance of spring 35. When the latch lever 13 is laterally displaced under the influence of a coin C and the manual operation of coin pusher disc [2 thereon, the arm 33 drops under the influence of spring 3:: and allows the lug 35 to ride down the inclined edge 353 as said edge recedes from the path of said lug. The lug 3] in the lowered position of arm 33 (see Fig. 2) serves to arrest spring return movement of latch lever 13 so that the ual movement by the projecting end It thereof. Arm 33 has a rounded cam point 3'5 located at a distance above its pivotal mounting 34 and during the limited lowering and raising of arm 33 the cam point 35 shifts from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3. A warning or monitor member 3'! is gravitationally and/or spring urged to the position shown in Fig. The member Ell has a G-bent portion 38 in the bottom provided with aligned perforations forming a journal bearing on pin 39 in casing ID. The bent portion t8 terminates in a transverse end at which cooperates with the cam point 35 on arm 33 so that the enlarged legend bearing plate 44 is normally held in an upright position beyond window A2 in casing I!) when latch lever l3 in the blocking position shown in Fig. 1. When arm 33 drops to and/or is held in the lowered position shown in Fig. 3 the cam point 36 allows the warning member 31 to gravitationally move to a visible position before the window 42.

Arm 33 will remain in the lowered position and hold the latch lever out of latching position until the arm has been positively pivoted in a rising or clockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 3 sufficiently to move the lug 3| thereon from below the edge 30 on extension 29 of the latch lever. Until arm 33 is thus raised it is possible to repeatedly turn and release the coin pusher disc l2 and the operator is assured of ample opportunity to manually move disc 2 to attain a proper setting of hand 28 on indicator 24. Means are provided however for automatically shifting or lifting arm .33 from beneath the latch lever after a given period of time so that if the operator ignores the legend plate 4! and inadvertently or deliberately leaves the meter with the parts as positioned in Fig. 3, the normal return movement of the indicator member 24, in accordance with the passage of time, will effect automatic shifting of arm 33 and thereafter prevent manual operation of pusher disc 52 without inserting another coin.

On the other hand after the operator properly movesthe pusher disc !2 to attain the full permitted setting of the indicator, immediate lifting action is effected on arm 33 so that the operator may forthwith deposit another coin and again manually operate pusher disc !2 in order to secure further prepaid setting of the indicator. The operator is thus assured that he may properly set the meter using one or a succession of coins without danger of losing any of the allowed amount of setting movement through inadvertence and without being in any way limited in the selective use of the meter.

The means for releasing the latch lever to its blocking position by the intended setting operation of the meter is as follows. A lostmotion pin 43 threadedly fixed in toothed ring 22, passes through hole Ml of larger diameter in indicator 24 and is biased by a springs!) to provide a yieldable lost-motion connection between saidtocth ring and said indicator 26. The pusher disc 12 and sleeve 23, indicator '25, and ring 22 thus move as a unit during at least part of the manual rotation of the disc iii. A coin stop pawl, 48 is lowered through the action of pin 41 on latch lever I3 and serves to present a limiting abutment for the tooth ii on ring 22. The continued pressure of the, manual setting operation permits the ring 22 to remain sta. tionary while the indicator is manually moved slightly further and causeszrelative shifting of pin 43 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4. This lost-motion connection has for its original purpose the slight adjustment of the toothed ring 22 at the conclusion of a setting. operation so that the pawl 45 will cooperate with a succeeding tooth 2| on the next manual setting movement. According to the'present invention a small plate cam 48 is loosely pivoted on indicator 2 by means of a rivet 49 and said plate cam has an angularly turned finger 56 which extends through a hole in the indicator 2% and rearwardly beneath the lower arcuate edge 52 of 'arm 33. The free swinging plate cam 48 normally has its cam edge 53 gravitationally resting on lost-motion pin Q3, in which position the finger 5G is free of the edge 52 of arm 33. When lost-motion occurs, due to relative pressure on ring 22 and pin 43 against the resistance of spring 45, the edge of the pin 43 cams edge 53 upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4 wherein finger 50 contacts edge 52 of arm 33. and lifts it sufficiently to remove lug M from beneath inclined edge 3!], thereby allow ing the latch lever to resume a blocking position as shown in Fig-1 under the influence of its spring l5. When the lost-motion pin 3 is restored to its original relative position as shown in Fig. 1 by the influence of spring the plate cam'ed gravitationally returns to its original position as shown in Fig. 1.

If the operator fails to push the disc'farenough to attain the full setting of the indicator unit the lost-motion movement of pin G3, from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the. position shown in Fig. 4, will not occur and the plate cam A8 will not be actuated, hence the arm .33 will remain in a position shown in. Fig. 3. The'latch lever it will thus be held out of its blocking position and the pusher disc l2 will be free to be moved and released repeatedly. The legend plate-5! will remain visible during this interval.

Means are provided to automatically release the latch lever if the operator fails to do so. catch pawl member 54 is pivoted at 55 on the arm 33 and a spring 56 serves to urge member 5d in a downwardly direction. The catch pawl member 5s moves bodily with arm 33. Catch pawl member 5 is cut away for a distance intermediate its ends to provide a pawl tooth 51 operating alongside one face'of arm 33 and to further provide a restricted portion 58 with a double bend therein which portion 58 passes through an open topped notch or slot 59 in arm 33 and disposes a depending and parallel offset cam portion 69 in the plane of the edge of salient wing 69 that isformed integrally with the pusher disc [2. The segmental wing 6| travels with 6 the-pusher disc, during manual movement and serves to-1ift and lower cam 60 of the catch pawl member 54 and move said member about its pivot 55. Fixed to or formed integrally with indicator 24 is a fine toothed ratchet segment 62, the fine teeth 63 of which. may cooperate with the tooth 5'5 on the catch pawl member 54 under the hereinafter described conditions. When the latch lever I3 is in blocking position, the arm 33 is held in elevated condition by lug 3tand the catch pawl member 54 has its pivot 55 in a relatively raised position due to the position of arm 33. The cam end BB is at this time lowered to the limit permitted by the the indioatorZd will permit the teeth on the ratchet segment 62 to move past pawl tooth :"al'and out of contact therewith during continued setting movement so that no wear occurs on tooth 5i and teeth 53. However if the pusher disc is advanced to lessthan a permitted limit under a given condition of the meter, and the handle is released, the pusher disc returns to its originalpositionas shown in Fig. 3 allowing the cam'portion 60 to descend oil the endrof salient wing 61 so thatthe pawl tooth 5'! on member tt'may now drop and enter into actual or potential engagement with the nearest one of the teeth 63. In this interval the legend bearing monitor plate at will be visible and serve as a reminder to the operator that he should further turn the handle to assure the fullpermitted prepaid setting. If he'does so the lost motion pin and plate cam 43 will normalize the mechanism as previously indicated and the parts will return to the position shown 'in' Fig. 1 forthwith. If the operator fails to heed the warning, and leaves the meter, the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 3. As the indicator moves toward ,zero or starting position in accordance with the :passage of time, and under the influence of the clockwork (not shown), the

. engaged tooth 63 willcontinue to push against catch pawl tooth 5? and transmit the pressure to the pivot 55 thereby causing the arm 33 to move about its pivot as and slowly withdraw lug 35 from beneath the inclined edge 39 on i the extension 29 of the latch lever. The latch lever is thus free to return to blocking position and arm 33 is now supported in raised position by the latch lever. As hereinbefore indicated teeth 63 are relatively small and in the structure shown may be readily arranged to cause the arm 33 to release the latchlever 13 to its normal blocking position within a matter of two or three minutes (more or less). During that interval anyone may take advantage of the unlatched position of the pusher disc and provide the further setting of which the operator had not originally availed himself. After the interval has elapsed the meter setting mechanism may be operated only upon deposit of another coin. The restoration of the coin loss preventer will of course retire the legend bearing plate 4| to the invisible position beyond. the window as shown in Fig. 1

'7 It is understood that the legent on plate 4| may be as desired, and in the present instance is constituted by an arrow, pointing in the direction of setting rotation, and the worded legend Turn Handle.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coin loss preventer for a coin released, manually settable parking meter the combination with a meter setting mechanism including an indicator member yieldably urged to zero position in accordance with the passage of time, a spring returned manual pusher disc for moving said indicator away from zero position, a latch lever yieldably urged to a position blocking manual operation of said disc, means on the lever for arresting deposited coins in the path of said pusher disc for displacement of said coins and movement of said latch lever out of blocking position and a coin stop pawl controlled by the latch lever and adapted to cooperate with the indicator member for permitting predetermined stepwise setting movements of the indicator on successive coin released manual operations of the pusher disc, of a pivoted arm biased toward the end of the latch lever and held thereby in elevated position while the latch lever is in said blocking position, said arm, upon rocking movement of the latch lever out of blockingposition, yieldably assuming a position in the path of return movement of the latch lever for holding the latter out of blocking position, means movable with the indicator for engagement with the coin stop pawl and yieldably permitting limited move ment of the indicator relative thereto to define a permitted limit'of setting movement of the indicator, a plate cam pivoted on the indicator and resting on the last named means for pivotal movement as the indicator moves the plate relative to said means, said plate cam having a portion extending beneath the pivoted arm and serving to lift the arm out of the path of return movement of the latch lever, including a toothed ratchet segment on the indicator and a cooperating catch pawl pivoted on the said arm where by limited movement of the indicator in accordance with the passage of time efiects shifting of said catch pawl and the arm for moving the arm out of the path of return movement of the latch lever.

2. The combination with a parking meter mechanism including a settable indicator, a pusher disc to set the indicator, limit means to arrest the indicator in predetermined positions during setting thereof, and a latch lever yieldably urged to a position for blocking movement or the disc and adapted to be moved from disc blocking position under the influence of a deposited coin and said disc, of a pivoted arm having a free end supported by the latch lever in its blocking position and biased to descend into the path of return movement of the latch lever when the latter is moved out of blocking position by a coin and said pusher disc, a cam plate pivoted on the indicator and engaging the underside of the pivoted arm when the latter is in the last named position, and a lost motion member movable with the indicator for yieldable limited relative movement therewith as the lost motion member is carried into positive stop engagement with the limit means during setting movement of the indicator, said lost motion means at all times engaging the cam plate and serving to pivotally actuate the cam plate for raising the pivoted arm whereby the latch lever is displaced and the end of said pivoted arm is lifted out of the path of return movement of the latch lever.

3. The combination with a parking meter mechanism including a settable indicator, a pusher disc to set the indicator, limit means for the indicator and a latch member yieldably urged to a position blocking movement of the disc and adapted to be moved out of disc blocking position under the influence of said disc and a deposited coin, of a pivoted arm having a free end adapted to rest on the free end of the latch lever when the latter is in its blocking position and biased to descend into the path of return movement of the latch lever when the latter is moved out of blocking position, a catch pawl pivoted on said arm, a fine toothed ratchet segment mounted fixedly on the indicator for cooperating with said catch pawl when the said arm is lowered into the path of return movement of the latch lever and adapted on predetermined movement of the indicator away from set position to move the arm about the pivot and lift the end thereof out of said path of return movement of the latch lever.

4. The combination with a parking mete mechanism including a settable indicator, a pusher disc to set the indicator, limit means for the indicator and a latch member yieldably urged to a position blocking movement of the disc and adapted to be moved from disc blocking position under the influence of said disc and a deposited coin, of a pivoted arm having a free end supported by the latch lever in its blocking position and biased to descend into the path of return movement of the latch lever when the latter is moved out of blocking position, means for lifting the arm out of the pat-h of return movement of the latch lever and operative when the pusher disc moves the indicator sufficiently to eiTect pressure engagement of the indicator on the limit means, and independent means including a ratchet segment on the indicator and a cooperating pawl on the arm whereby said ratchet segment during predetermined limited return movement of the indicator shifts said catch pawl and thereby moves the arm out of the path of return movement of the latch lever.

5. In a parking meter the combination of a selectively settable indicator, limit means regulating permitted setting movement of the indicator, a pusher disc for setting the indicator toward a permitted limit, a latch lever biased to a position for blocking movement of said disc, means yieldably urging the indicator away from a set position in accordance with the passage of time, a pivoted arm resting on top of the latch lever when the latter is in blocking position and biased to enter below the latch lever as the latter is moved out of blocking position for holding said latch lever out of blocking position, means carried by the indicator and actuated by pressure on the indicator against said limit means for lifting the arm out of said last mentioned position, and independent means including a catch pawl on said arm, and a ratchet segment on the indicator for engaging the said catch pawl when the indicator is released from the setting pressure or" the pusher disc before the indicator has been moved into pressure engagement with the limit means, for driving the catch pawl by said ratchet segment and thereby shifting the arm about its pivot and out of its aforesaid last mentioned position on predetermined movement of the indicator under the influence of the yieldable means, and a cooperating wing and cam on the disc and catch pawl respectively for withholding the catch pawl from the ratchet segment during setting movement of the indicator.

6. In a parking meter mechanism the combination with a settable indicator yieldably urged away from a preset position in accordance with the passage of time, a spring returned pusher disc for manually setting the indicator, a latch lever biased to a position blocking movement of said disc, means on said lever for arresting a deposited coin for movement by the disc whereby the latch lever is moved out of blocking position, a pivoted arm having an end adapted to rest on the top of the latch lever in its blocking position and biased to descend below the latch lever when the latter is moved out of blocking position for holding it out of blocking position, limit means selectively controlled by the latch lever for predetermined setting movement of the indicator, a plate cam pivoted on the indicator and disposed under the pivoted arm, a yieldably shiftable means movable with the indicator to engage the limit means and adapted on further setting movement of the indicator to eifect pivotal movement of the cam plate for lifting the arm from beneath the latch lever, a ratchet segment and pawl means on said indicator and arm cooperating independently of the plate cam for lifting said arm from the path of the latch lever during limited movement of the indicator away from a preset position and means comprising a salient wing on the disc and a cooperating cam on the pawl for holding the pawl free of the ratchet segment during manual and spring return movement of the disc.

7. In a device of the class described a settable indicator yieldably urged to zero position in accordance with the passage of time, a pusher disc for setting said indicator, a, limit means for establishing progressively advanced limits for the indicator during successive complete cyclic operations of the pusher disc, a latch lever biased to a position blocking setting movement of the disc and shiftable from said blocking position by a deposited coin under pressure of the disc, a pivoted arm, supported at its free end by an end of the latch lever when the latter is in its blocking position, said arm yieldably urged to move past the end of the latch lever when the latter is moved out of blocking position, and to assume a position below the latch lever for holding the latter out of blocking position, means to retire the arm and means for operation in the event of incomplete setting of said indicator comprising a cooperating toothed segment and catch pawl carried by the indicator and arm whereby movement of the indicator according to the passage of time effects lifting movement of the arm from beneath the latch lever during a predetermined short time interval, for permitting the latch lever to move into blocking position.

8. In a coin released, manually set parking meter the combination of an indicator member yieldably urged to zero position in accordance with the passage'of time, a spring returned pusher disc manually operabl against the resistance of its return spring for setting the indicator away from zero position, a lost motion means supported for movement with the indicator and yieldably permitting limited relative movement of the indi cator inasetting direction by the pusher disc when the lost motion means is arrested, latchlever yieldably urged downwardly into the path of the pusher disc to a position blocking manual movement of the pusher disc, means on the latch lever to arrest a deposited coin in the path of manual movement of the pusher disc for displacement of the coin by the disc and thereby causing the coin to move the latch lever out of blocking position, a coin stop pawl controlled by movement of the latch lever for movement out of and into the path of movement of said lost motion means and to arrest the latter on predetermined movement of the indicator and yieldably permit limited further setting movement of the indicator by the disc to establish a definite setting limit of the indicator member by the operation of the meter with a given deposited coin, a pivoted arm adapted at its free end to rest on top of the latch lever when the latter is in blocking position and biased to descend past the end of and into the path of return movement of said latch lever as the latter is moved out of blocking position, and a cam plate element pivoted on the indicator and engaging with said pivoted armand said lost motion means, and adapted for movement on its pivotal mounting, as the indicator is moved relative to the lost motion means to a definite setting limit by the pusher disc, for lifting the arm out of the path of return movement of the latch lever and permitting the latter to return to blocking position and to support said arm in its first mentioned position.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 and including a ratchet segment fixed to the indicator member and a pawl pivotally supported on the pivoted arm and yieldably urged to engagement with the ratchet member when the arm is in a lowered position whereby said pawl may be moved by the ratchet member during predetermined movement of the indicator in accordance with the passage of time for moving the arm out of the path of return movement of the latch lever independently of the operation of the cam plate.

LAWRENCE MICHAELS.

No references cited. 

